Radiator shell construction



Jan. 12, 1932. J, L 1,840,881

RADIATOR SHELL ONSTRUCTION Filed May 6, 1950 A TTORNE Y.

Patented Jan 12, 1%32 HAROLD J. BLAIR, OF PLEASANT RIDGE, Iz IIGHIGAN, ASSIG-NOR FORD 1VIOTOR COM- PANY, OE DEABBORN, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE RADIATOR SHELL CONSTRUCTION Application filer i ay a, 1930. Serial l To. 450,153.

The object ot my invention isto provide a radiator shell constructlon of simple, durable, and IHBXPGIlSlVB construction.

A further object of my invention is to provide a radiator shell construction for use in connection with automobile radiators wherein its appearance and durability is highly important.

Still a further object of my invention is to provide a radiator shell having portions integrally with the side and top members of the shell, considerable difiiculty is encountered in the drawing of such shells from chromium steel.

Formerly relatively thick, steel was necessary to provide sufiicient material to suc- 7 3o cessfully draw such shells. The cost of rust-. less or chromium steel being many times that of ordinary sheet steel, the excessive thickness of such Steel was a great disadvantage. In my improved radiator shell'construction 3'5 relatively thin chromium steel sheets can be used, as very little drawing of the metal is required. In this construction I provide a chromium steel band extending around the top and sides of the radiator to which I fasten a pair of insert panels of ordinary cold rolled steel to form the top and bottom panels of the radiator shell. lVith this construction I am able to materially lessen the cost of the radiator shell because of the reduced cost of the thin chromium sheets and the chromium steel together because the weld ings, in which marks produced by the electrodes penetrate through'the steel and cannot be b'ufi'ed out to obtain a uniform high lustre finish.-

A very striking appearance can be given-to my improved radiator shell by painting the insert panels the same color as the body of the car and then assembling it to thehighly polished rim portion of the shell. Because these inserts can be sprayed or dipped before they are assembled to the shell, rim there is no cutting in or difficult painting required by this construction.

'- l/Vith these-andIother objects in view my invention consists in the arrangement, construction, and COIIlblIliltlOIl of the various parts of my improved device, as described in the specification, cla med in myclaims, and lllustrated .111 the "accompanying draw- Figure 1 showsa front elevation ofmy igure improved radiator shell 2 shows a sectional view taken on the line 2 -2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 shows a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure l. I

F gure 4 shows a view of the upper insert panel before assembling to theradiator shell rim, and l i Figures 5 and- 6 show enlargedviews of the joint between the insert panel'and shell rim, illustrated'in Figure 2.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Ihave shown a radiator shell comprised of a pair ofvertica'l side members 10 having a top memberll formed integrally therewith which members are adapted to extend around the top and sides of the radiator core.

bead 12 extends inwardly from the forward edgesof the members 10 and 11 so as to project a short distance over the front face of the of a high lustre finish. I have also providedv a strip 13 corresponding in section to the bead 12 which continues around the bottom ofthe radiator core. Thus, the shell is provided with ahead 12 and. strip 13 which outlines the radiatorcore. v

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An upper insert panel 14 is arranged to fit inside the top portion of the bead 12 to hide from View the water tank portion of the radiator core. The inner edge of this top section of the bead 12 is provided with a plurality of cars 15 which project through correspondingly placed slots 16 punched in the insert panel 14 and which ears are crimped over the back of the panel to secure the panel and bead together.

Likewise, I have provided a lower panel 17 which is similarly fastened to the bead 13. It will be remembered that the sides and top members 10 and 11 together with the beads 12 and 13 are pressed from chromium steel and that the insert panels 14 and 17 are pressed from a relatively inexpensive grade of cold rolled sheet steel. The insert panels 14 and 17 are painted before assembly to match the rest of the car so that the delicate cutting in operations between the panels and the bead 12 and strip 13 are avoided.

The lower edge of the panel 14 is provided with a chromium steel garnish strip 18,

' illustrated in Figure 6. A plurality of openings 19 are provided in the lower edge of the insert 14 by which the garnish strip 18 is secured to the lower edge of this member. The strip 18 is preferably formed as an inverted channel section the rear edge of which is provided with ears 21 adapted to be pressed into the openings 19 from the inside of the radiator shell'to secure this strip in place.

The garnish strip 18 and bead 12 form a highly polished outline for the panel 14 so that the finished shell has the appearance of being drawn from a single sheet of steel with the two inserts finished to match the body of the car.

The reduced cost of manufacturing such shell together with the reduced cost of the materials used constitute advantages, not obtainable with other types of radiator shells.

Some changes may be made in the arrangement, construction, and combination of the various parts of my improved device without departing from the spirit of my invention, and it is my intention to cover by my claims such changes as may reasonably be included within the scope thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a radiator shell construction, a rustless steel band forming the top and sides of the shell, and a rustable insert secured to the upper portion of this band forming the front panel of the radiator shell.

2. In a radiator shell construction, a rustless steel band forming the top and side members of the shell, a bead drawn from the ma terial of this band extending inwardly a short distance over the front face of the radiator, and a rustable insert secured to the inner edges of this bead forming the front panel of the shell.

3. In a radiator shell construction, a rustless steel band forming the top and side members of the shell, a bead formed from the material of the band extending a short distance over the front face of the radiator, a rustable insert panel secured to the inner edges of this bead forming the front panel of the shell, and a rustless garnish strip secured to the free edge of said panel and extending across the shell to outline the panel.

4. In a radiator shell construction, a chromium steel band forming the top and sides of the shell, and a carbon steel insert panel secured to the upper portion of this band so that the band may be polished to obtain a high permanent lustre finish and the panel painted to obtain a permanent finish.

HAROLD J. BLAIR. 

